Yule Rite

by Ravemore

-Cast the Ritual Circle.

-Perform The Sacrament.

Declaration

Kneeling or standing before the altar say:

On this dark night we celebrate the victory of light over darkness. Our Great Lord Lugh will emerge from the halls of The Underworld with the breaking dawn born anew, as we all must. The Mother Danu will end her grieving and the seeds of spring will stir. Silent nights cloaked in cold and mists have stilled our tongues, but no more! We rejoice at the season to come, the warmth, the crops that will be planted, and the beasts in the field that will return from their slumber! The Horned One, Goat God of the witches, observes the shifting of the balance and watches over Lugh as he makes his way back toward the mortal world and prepares to crack open the gates. The Maiden Bridgit feels the flush of heat in her thighs and cheeks and smiles at the carnal rituals to come. The Crone Morrígan secretly revels in the knowledge that our Sun God is bound to return to her again.

Opening Invocation

Kneeling or standing before the altar say:

Horned God of the Witches, Great Cernunnos,I utter your name into the darkness.Giver of knowledge, Goat God of the witches, I invoke thee,By standing stone, and twisted tree.By fiery flame and starlight pale,In shadowy hosts that ride the gale.By moonlit meadow and dusky hill,When haunted wood is hushed and still.Come to the tone of chanted prayer,As the moon bewitches the midnight air.Come to us from dark depths below,When the pale white moon is climbing slow. (1)

– Prayers and invocations can be offered to the individual Gods and Goddesses at this time.

Sacrifice

Offer a sacrifice of holly wood and bones to The Gods, laying them upon a plate on the altar. Other offerings can also be made if desired. After the circle is opened, the sacrifice can be burned in the bonfire or buried beneath a tree.